I See Fire
by ColorMeContented
Summary: Takes place in the One of Us Au. Stan knew he would have to take responsibility for Ford's mistakes some day, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon.


**I See Fire**

 _T for a few bits of bad language otherwise hopefully it's just sad._

 _I've been listening to depressing music all evening but for the most part inspired by Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire."_

 _Takes place in poinsixer's One of Us Au where Bill didn't burn the journals and Stan managed to make contact with Dipper before they reached Mabel's bubble._

 _As always please forgive any mistakes._

* * *

Stan couldn't honestly say that he was surprised when Dipper told him that Ford had joined Bill in bringing on the apocalypse. Upset maybe but not surprised.

Bill had promised the genius eventual omnipotence, omnipresence, and power. Stan himself wasn't sure he would turn down such an offer. When they were children their elders had praised Stanford's thirst for knowledge, sure that his brains would provide him a good life, but today it might just get him killed.

Stan lugged the last can of gasoline up from the basement, pouring it over the floor in the kitchen where he leaned against the counter for a minute of silence, and to wait.

This decision had been a long time coming, he decided. Stanford had slowly been dragging them both towards this ends where they teetered on the edge both trying to throw the other off. It was Stanley, though who would have to make the final plunge. His brother had gone too far this time. Stan could handle the cold shoulder when he needed his brother most, he could handle being homeless, hell, he could handle the soul crushing guilt as he struggled to save his brother from the portal for thirty long painful years. But Ford had hurt the kids. His kids.

Stan relished the momentary calm and the sour sting of gasoline in his nostrils. He plucked Ford's spare glasses that he had carried with him all these years from his pocket and ran the pads of his thumbs over the cracked lenses.

What had happened to the two of them? It was so difficult to believe that there was a time when he and Stanford were so close and now…

Stan looked up as the creaking of the Shack's rusty hinges alerted him as to his brother's arrival. Ford was no longer the brother he'd known. He was all rolling incorporeal eyes and wispy tendrils and for one small moment Stan was afraid. He was afraid of this creature in front of him and afraid of death. But no more than Dipper had been as the child watched his whole world crash down around him and after only twelve short years of life finding no sibling by his side to cling to for comfort. The way Dipper had clutched that broken walkie-talkie as though Mabel were listening on the other side filled him with contempt for his brother for betraying them and for himself for having been an unwitting accomplice.

A warm smile passed Stan's lips.

"Long time no see Fordsy."

The creature before him advanced slowly, eyes darting, searching, and ignoring Stanley's greeting.

"Where are my journals, Stanley?"

And again Stan was furious. His brother had always put those damn journals, his precious research, before anyone else, especially Stanley. He clenched his jaw as the rage passed and he stalked into the next room, Ford following close behind, to receive that which his brother sought.

Dipper's backpack, stuffed full of journal, had been stashed behind Stan's chair in the living room. It had taken a lot of lying and false promises to get them away from the kid and for that Stan was sorry.

"What you mean these? Geez Ford I knew you were over protective but didn't you think I'd take care of your babies?"

While the creature didn't react to Stan's dig all of its eyes rolled to focus on Stan who calmly began fiddling with Ford's glasses as he dropped into his chair.

"Just tell me this, Ford. Was there anything I could have done?"

The creature's eyes stared absently through Stanley. The brother stared at one another for a long while, neither willing to look away. Stan broke eye contact, blinking away tears. That was it then, he knew his brother was gone.

Stan let out a choked laugh.

"That's a relief! You were always going to turn into –" Stan gestured at the creature, "this… this thing."

Suddenly his eyes narrowed, "Even so, I have to take responsibility for letting you get this far. It was always me taking responsibility wasn't it? With ma and dad, at school… never were much of a big brother, you."

Stan tugged a lighter out of his back pocket, sparking a flame and dangling the bag above it. "But you hurt the kids, and I just can't forgive you for that."

The creature inched closer and Stan could see it itching to kill him and take back the journals. He forced his shoulders to stop shaking.

Hoping to buy himself a few more minutes Stan continued. "I haven't exactly been a saint either, I mean, I've buried my fair share of enemies, even a friend or two." Stan leaned forward, nearly coming face to face with his brother. "But I'd never endanger the kids. Or maybe I did by bringing you back through the portal." Stan held the lighter closer to the bag. "Maybe they'd be better off without either of us."

"Stanley, my research." Ford's eyes had narrowed to thin slits and the flowing appendages about him danced in open irritation at Stanley's flippant treatment of his journals.

"Not even going to try and make excuses are ya?" Stan shrugged, "That's fine, I guess, if you're just gonna let me bullshit until I find the nerve to light this puppy up that's fine by me."

Upon hearing Stanley's plan finally laid out the creature gave an intelligible growl and tensed to rush Stan, stopping only when the younger Pines tapped the flame to the bag, scorching the bottom.

"Not so fast sixer, you're going to hear me out. I got this place rigged up six ways to Sunday with all sorts of fuckery, all of which will go off if this lighter drops." The slick glint of the gasoline soaked floor caught the creature's eye as it stilled, "This can end in one of two ways, you help those kids defeat Bill or we go up in flames. But if this should end in fire we'll both burn together."

Stan hated that he felt tears run down his cheeks and quickly dragged a palm across his face to get rid of them. His momentary distraction was the creature's cue and it lunged for the journals only to be met with a killer left hook and the sound of its own jaw cracking with the impact of the blow.

"You think it's gonna be that easy Stanford?" Stan's voice rose as he grabbed his brother by the collar, bringing him close.

"You still aren't worried about poor dumb Stanley are ya? Still think I'm a walking bad decision?" Stan held the lighter away from them at arm's length, struggling to keep his grip on both it and his brother. "Well I got one more bad decision for ya sixer!"

Ford's eyes widened and Stan's own clouded with tears. "I'm not letting you leave me behind this time! This time, we're going together!"

Stan released his grip on the lighter.

Dipper turned away from Mabel's bubble as he, Soos, and Wendy prepared to take their first steps inside.

"That explosion sounded like it came from the Shack! Grunkle Stan could be in trouble, we have to help!" Dipper pulled away from his friends only to be caught by Soos before he could get too far.

"Mister Pines can take care of himself, dude, he'd want us to rescue Mabel first."

Dipper hesitated just long enough to steal a glance at the fireball rising from the vicinity of the Shack, reassured of his uncle's capability and led Wendy into the bubble, leaving Soos to look out over the valley and the flames climbing high into the night. He watched as the auburn flames took to the trees.

Soos retrieved a wrinkled envelope from his coat with his name and a quick note scrawled on the front.

'Soos, only open this when you've got Wendy and Dipper as far from the Shack as possible – Stan'

Soos quickly tore open the envelope. The note was stained with alcohol and tears. It bore no profound message for either Soos or the kids, no grand wish for their future, no explanation. There was but a simple 'I'm sorry.'

He stared at the note for a few short seconds, feeling the dread behind those words before releasing the note and allowing it to be caught by the wind and swept off the cliff face before following after his friends.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading, drop me a review if you have the time 3  
_


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